What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) A witness said that he saw the airplane make a low pass to the west. The airplane was approximately 1/4-mile north of his location. He saw the airplane come back around for another pass. The witness said that on the second pass the airplane dipped down in altitude a slight bit after spraying and then burst into flames. The farmer said that the sun was low in the sky at the time. A deputy sheriff, who responded to the accident site said that he met the pilot of the airplane along side a dirt road. The deputy sheriff said that the pilot told him that he hit some power lines and crashed. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. Examination of three north-south running suspended power lines, revealed that two of the lines were severed. The power lines in the area were suspended approximately 20 feet above the ground. One of the poles supporting the power lines was hidden by trees. (-23) on June 20, 1997, at 2015 central daylight time, a Piper PA-25-235, N7378Z, operated by a commercial pilot was destroyed when it struck a power line during an aerial application pass. The airplane subsequently impacted the terrain and burned. Visual meteroological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aerial application flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 137. No flight plan was on file. The pilot sustained serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) A WITNESS SAID THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE MAKE A LOW PASS TO THE WEST. THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/4-MILE NORTH OF HIS LOCATION. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE COME BACK AROUND FOR ANOTHER PASS. THE WITNESS SAID THAT ON THE SECOND PASS THE AIRPLANE DIPPED DOWN IN ALTITUDE A SLIGHT BIT AFTER SPRAYING AND THEN BURST INTO FLAMES. THE FARMER SAID THAT THE SUN WAS LOW IN THE SKY AT THE TIME. A DEPUTY SHERIFF, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE SAID THAT HE MET THE PILOT OF THE AIRPLANE ALONG SIDE A DIRT ROAD. THE DEPUTY SHERIFF SAID THAT THE PILOT TOLD HIM THAT HE HIT SOME POWER LINES AND CRASHED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. EXAMINATION OF THREE NORTH-SOUTH RUNNING SUSPENDED POWER LINES, REVEALED THAT TWO OF THE LINES WERE SEVERED. THE POWER LINES IN THE AREA WERE SUSPENDED APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. ONE OF THE POLES SUPPORTING THE POWER LINES WAS HIDDEN BY TREES. (-23) ON JUNE 20, 1997, AT 2015 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-25-235, N7378Z, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT STRUCK A POWER LINE DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION PASS. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AND BURNED. VISUAL METEROOLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 137. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.